The Ultimate Guide to Packaging Symbols

November 1, 2017Kate McCauley

Packaging symbols are a bit of a minefield.

If you’re struggling to decipher the latest symbols or need reassurance you’re using the correct claims, you came to the right place. As a packaging supplier, it’s safe to say we’re pretty clued up on the subject. So, we asked our quality team to put together the ultimate guide to packaging symbols.

The Power of Symbols

Symbols have always been a great way to communicate information. They transcend language barriers and cultural differences.

Often with packaging, it is difficult to combine attractive design and clear messaging with all the legal labelling requirements. This is especially true for food products with small print areas and long, complex ingredient lists. Packaging Symbols can help brands communicate core values, whilst educating consumers and helping them immediately identify important claims.

Gluten Free

The crossed grain symbol is internationally recognised and represents products that have gained gluten-free certification. This symbol is crucial for those with gluten-free diets with Coeliac UK suggesting that 59% of consumers now rely on the crossed grain symbol when making purchasing decisions.

Vegetarian

The Vegetarian symbol can vary internationally however many consumers recognise the V inside a circle. The vegetarian society also has an approved trademark that is becoming increasingly common across vegetarian products.

Vegan

Although many brands and producers use varying means to signal Vegan foods, the Vegetarian Society recently launched its new vegan trademark, that offers assurances to consumers that food has been independently tested and approved. It is now being widely adopted and recognised as the go-to symbol for vegan-friendly products.

Fairtrade

The symbol is a certification that the product has been sourced from producers in developing countries and in accordance with Fairtrade standards. According to the Fairtrade Foundation, three-quarters of UK shoppers use this to decide whether a product is ethical.

Keep Britain Tidy

It’s one of the most famous symbols on product packaging. Although it doesn’t hold any particular claims it was introduced to help remind consumer to dispose of waste responsibly.

Recycling

There are many recycling symbols used in packaging. Some of the most recognised symbols are the Mobius Loop that tells the consumer the material is eligible for recycling.

The Green Dot is also widely used in Europe and for many countries, the trademark can be mandatory. The symbol indicates for each piece of packaging a financial contribution has been paid to a national packaging recovery organisation.

There are also the below symbols, introduced in the UK as part of the on-pack recycling label scheme. They give information on whether the packaging is likely to be recycled.

Plastic Packaging

There can be varying materials used in plastic packaging depending on the intended use. The above triangle symbols indicate plastic material with the number inside relating to the resin used to make the packaging.

Although the three black arrows or Mobius loop suggest recyclability this does not apply to all plastics, especially films that have multiple layers of material laminated together. The ongoing confusion is just one of the reasons why schemes such as ‘on-pack recycling label’ have been introduced to provide extra guidance for consumers on recycling.

Compostable

The symbol above is known as the seedling logo and refers to the EU certification for compostable packaging – EN 13432. The logo can only be used after formal certification carried out by independent certifier Din Certco. Only when a material passes the criteria set out by European standards can it be accepted for commercial composting systems and certified ‘compostable.’ If two independently certified material components are combined then the final packaging will also need to be tested and certified to hold the accreditation.

Home Compostable

For those wishing to compost packaging at home, it’s important to note that the EN 13432 certification only applies to industrial composting in controlled conditions. In order to achieve home composting accreditation brands, look to the Belgian ‘OK compost home’ system managed by Vinçotte.

FSC Certified Paper

For paper packaging such as cartons, paper bags the material needs to be sourced from our planet’s trees. Not all paper mills use responsibly sourced wood. The FSC Certified Paper symbol ensures that the wood pulp is sourced in an environmentally friendly, well-managed forest.

If you need some help with packaging symbols and packaging claims we’re here for you. Give us a call – even if you just have a few simple questions. We’re always happy to answer questions, after all, packaging is kind of our thing!

Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest packaging news and insights